The request for a clinical waste collection should be requested by a medical profession/doctor/surgeon – once we have received the request we will contact you to set up your collection.

Clinical waste is defined in the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992. It means any waste that consists wholly or partly of:

• human or animal tissue
• blood or bodily fluids
• excretions
• drugs or other pharmaceutical products
• swabs or dressings
• syringes, needles or other sharp instruments; which unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it
• any other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, care teaching or research, or the collection of blood for transfusion, being waste that may cause infection.

What controls are there on the disposal of clinical waste?

There are stringent controls in place to ensure that clinical waste is managed safely and is recovered or disposed of without harming the environment or human health. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 it is unlawful to deposit, recover or dispose of controlled (including clinical) waste without a waste management licence.

Contravention of waste controls is a criminal offence. Section 34 of the Act, places people concerned with controlled (including clinical) waste under a duty of care to ensure that the waste is managed properly, recovered or disposed of safely and is only transferred to someone who is authorised to keep it.

How can we help?

Wastesaver offers a clinical waste service, including provision of containers, collection and an incineration service:

• Sharps containers for the disposal of syringes and needles
• Yellow sacks for the disposal of infectious, anatomical and chemical waste
• Tiger sacks for the disposal of offensive and hygiene waste.

the request for a clinical waste collection should be requested by a medical profession/doctor/surgeon – once we have received the request we will contact you to set up your collection